Page 75 of When the Walls Come Down
“I’m coming!” I yelled, hopping out of the bathroom while trying to buckle my sandal. I’d drawn my curls into a braid over one shoulder and slipped on a pale-blue sundress with spaghetti straps that Shane would have loved.
Not that I was thinking about him or anything.
There was still no response to my texts. Not even a quick note to apologize for standing me up. I had no idea what the hell was going on with him or if he’d made it home last night. But there was no way I was putting more effort into chasing him down. He knew where I lived. The ball was in his court.
I smiled at my brother as I grabbed my purse off the counter. “Look at you, wearing a collared shirt and everything. Clare has performed a miracle domesticating you.”
“Actually, Roman’s forcing me to wear a suit to work every day has been doing the domesticating.” He winked and then blinded me with a bright, white smile. “Clare likes to keep me wild.”
“Ew.” I faked a gag. “God, I’d forgotten how disgusting you are when you’re happy.”
He barked a loud laugh as he held open the front door. Just like when I was a kid, he waited for me to duck under his arm before following me out.
I’d just finished locking up when I heard it. I’d never thought much of the quiet creak of Shane’s door before, but right then, it sounded like a scream echoing through the hall.
Less than a second later, that no-good, no-texting, no-calling, sexy son of a bitch stepped outside. His brown eyes collided with mine first, but they quickly bounced to Heath. Shane tried to hide his flinch, but I saw it. And after his little disappearing act over the last few days, a part of me loved it.
I knew exactly what he was thinking, because I knew what I would be thinking if I saw him emerging from his apartment with a woman before eight in the morning.
“Oh, hey, Shane,” I chirped, hooking my arm with Heath’s. “Glad you finally made it home.”
Shane’s jaw ticked beneath the scruff, but he stood there, his disappointed gaze locked with mine.
I should have stopped it right then and there. And honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t. Maybe it was because I’d spent the last few days hurting and wondering.
Or maybe I was angry that I’d allowed him to have that kind of emotional control over me to begin with. But things with Shane and I had moved so fast, even when we’d tried to pretend they weren’t moving at all.
Or maybe, probably, definitely, I was just young, dumb, pissed off, and in love.
“Real classy, Peach,” he mumbled before shutting his door.
The click of his deadbolt was deafening.
We’d have to talk eventually. It wasn’t like I was going to let him believe I’d had a one-night stand forever. But there was something about the finality of him locking that door that caused a wave of panic to crash over me.
My throat got thick as Heath and I waited for the elevator. I stared at his door, remembering only a week ago when he’d pinned me against it, kissing his way up my neck while declaring, “Right now, let’s just be us. You and me.”
This wasn’t us.
We loved to pick on each other and crack jokes. But Shane and I weren’t mean. We were honest and thoughtful.
As the memories of when he’d told me about his wife and how she’d cheated on him slashed through me, I realized that leaving him to stew on what he’d just seen was nothing short of cruel.
Releasing Heath’s arm, I asked, “Can you give me a minute?”
His lips thinned. “That the guy from last night?”
I nodded. “Just…hold the elevator, okay?”
With my hands sweating and my heart racing, I jogged over to Shane’s door and gave it a hard knock. I wouldn’t have blamed him at all if he’d refused to answer.
But not Shane.
Not my Shane.
He looked every bit as murderous as he had the right to be when he snatched that door open. But I saw it. The pain and regret crinkling the corners of his eyes.
“Where were you?” I croaked.
He shook his head. “Does it matter anymore? Does anything fucking matter anymore, Maggie?”
“Yes. We matter.” He held his breath as I inched into his space and rested my hand on his chest. His heart pounded beneath it, and knowing I’d done that to him, I was rocked by a guilt heavier than I’d ever imagined. “He’s my brother. It’s not what you’re thinking.”
It took a second for the words to penetrate his fog of betrayal, but the relief that tore through him was enough to cause an aftershock. He blew out a loud breath and hooked me around the waist, dragging me to his chest.
